Posters are a great way to show off exactly what your business is, what you do, and what you offer, all in one easily digestible format. You might want to hand out fliers at an event or show, give out posters outside of your business, or put up posters in the area to build brand awareness. Whatever the purpose may be, your first step is to design and print your advertising media. To help you on your advertising adventure, we provide a few mistakes to avoid when printing posters in bulk.
Not Determining Exactly How Many You Need
Whether you’re outsourcing your printing or doing it in house, your first job is to determine exactly how many posters you need. This is a number that might change as your business grows and expands. It may also depend on the size of the venue you attend. If you’ve printed in bulk before, then you’ll have a good idea of how many posters to print, though you may adjust the amount accordingly. If you’ve never printed posters in bulk before, avoid the temptation to print more than you need.
In these cases, you’re better off lowballing the number until you have a better idea of future needs. The more you repeat the process, the more of a solid number you’ll have in mind. You may think that if you print too much, you can use the leftovers another time, which is good in some cases. However, if the information on your poster changes or the style becomes outdated in reference to your brand, you’ll end up with useless extras.
Not Giving Yourself Enough Buffer Time
Mistakes and changes are bound to occur. And no matter how fast a printing company is or how quickly your printer prints, you need to give yourself buffer time. You may spot a problem in the image after you’ve finished printing or run into a last-minute design change. Your printer may also run into a serious mechanical error. All this to say—you don’t want to print last minute. Give yourself plenty of time before the intended release date of your posters.
Not Double and Triple Checking Your Design
Before you begin printing, it’s vital that you check your design multiple times. The last thing you want to do is waste money and resources printing, only for it to come back with a design error. However, you shouldn’t be the only one with eyes on the design. Ideally, you should have another set of eyes look at the finished design to pinpoint any errors.
Not Proofreading Text and Information
Just as you should double- and triple-check your design, you need to proofread any text on your poster as well. Many advertising experts would argue that this is even more important than checking your design. Incorrect information can give a client the wrong idea about what you offer or what your business does. Worse yet, you’re sending out mass-produced misinformation about your own business. Even if it is correct, you still want to ensure there are no glaring spelling or grammatical errors. It may not seem like much, but sloppily written text can turn away customers. This is because it can give off the air that your business doesn’t pay attention to detail.
Forgetting To Change Resolution Settings
Getting the resolution just right takes a little fiddling, but it makes a huge difference for the end product. You don’t want to copy and paste photos you see on the internet onto your poster because the resolution may not be suitable for printing. However, you don’t want it to be too high, either. Keep in mind that you’re printing in bulk, and if your resolution is too high, the entire printing process will slow down to a snail’s pace. The best printing resolution is usually around 300 to 345 dpi.
Using the Wrong Paper for Text Legibility
The kind of paper you print on can vastly affect the legibility of your text. If your paper is too glossy, the light will reflect on it, making it difficult to read in the light. Conversely, if it’s too flat, the colors of your images won’t be as vibrant, and they can end up looking a little duller than intended. The best paper to use if you have text on your poster is semi-gloss. This way, your images will still look nice and vibrant, and your text will still be legible.
Using the Wrong File Type
Before you start printing, you need to ensure you’re using the right file type. If you’re working with a printing company, ask them what file type is best for their printers. If not, check your printer’s manual to see which file type suits it best. Some printers may only take PDF files, while other printers may also accept TIFFs.
Not Leaving Enough Space at the Cutting Edge
It’s unlikely that you’ll be cutting your posters by hand, and your printer’s guillotine will probably do the cutting for you. While these guillotines are incredibly accurate and precise, they’re not perfect. You need to set up a border, also known as bleeding. This can extend the image or leave a white space around the border, ensuring there’s enough space so that the blade doesn’t cut any important elements of the image.
Forgoing Test Prints
You can circumvent all the above issues with a simple test print. A test print will allow you to see the end product and pinpoint any errors before you start bulk printing. Using test prints allows you to make all the mistakes you need to until you get everything just right. Often, the colors you see on the screen won’t look exactly the same as the print itself, and you may need to brighten or darken the colors depending on your printer. This way, you can easily make any necessary adjustments before you waste your time, resources, and money.
Now that you know what mistakes to avoid when printing posters in bulk, let the Plotter Paper Guys help you print the posters you need for your business grow. We sell various weights and sizes of premium bond paper, perfect for your large format printer. When you shop with the Plotter Paper Guys, you’ll find everything you need to print crisp, clear, vibrant images every time.
